Paso Robles falls to 0-3 with loss to St. Joseph, but Bearcat head coach sees positives
NORTH COUNTY — It's feast or famine with the local high school football teams as Templeton and Atascadero stayed unbeaten at 3-0, and Paso Robles fell to 0-3 after the games played on Friday, Sept. 4.
Atascadero 21, Morro Bay 0
The Greyhounds continued to keep its opponent off the scoreboard for the second straight week, defeating host Morro Bay 21-0. It was AHS's second straight shutout, after a 10-0 win over Golden Valley last week.
The host Pirates were able to move the ball on offense at times, but the Greyhound defenders held tight when they had to. Carson Meador and Colton Megason came through with interceptions deep in Atascadero territory, and a goal-line stand in the third quarter, when Morro Bay had the ball at the Atascadero 1-yard line, kept the Pirates off the scoreboard.
"Morro Bay's coaches always do a good job at scheming up stuff and making it hard on the defense," Atascadero head coach Dan Loney said. "Our defense did a great job of playing our assignments and rallying to the ball."
On offense, the Greyhounds put three touchdowns on the board, with quarterback Cooper Knopf having a hand in all three. The senior signal-caller scored the first TD, running it in from 3 yards out in the second quarter, and in the second half threw two touchdown passes, both to wide receiver Jacob Perry. For the game, Knopf completed 21 of 34 passes for 259 yards, with Michael Trejo catching 11 of them for 127 yards. Xavi Cano led the Greyhounds' rushing attack with 63 yards on 14 carries.
Overall, Loney was happy with the team's effort against Morro Bay.
"The kids came out with confidence on friday night, and played hard," he said.
Atascadero will travel to San Luis Obispo this Friday, Sept. 11, for a game with the Tigers. After a bye week on Sept. 18, the Greyhounds will be back home with a game against Santa Ynez on Sept. 25.
Templeton 41, Coalinga 7
The Eagles had a stellar season in 2025, and they seem to be carrying that momentum into 2026 as THS defeated visiting Coalinga 41-7 for its third straight win.
Templeton, who last year won its first 12 games, including two playoff games, before losing to Immanuel in the Central Section Division IV championship game, has dominated each of its 2026 opponents so far: The Eagles have scored at least 40 points in each game, while holding its foes to single figures.
Eagles quarterback Colter Tannehill lit up the scoreboard against Coalinga, completing 21 of 33 passes for 350 yards and five touchdowns as THS raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Colby Sims caught nine of Tannehill's passes for 177 yards and three TDs, while Leo Rivera had 61 yards receiving and two TDs. Gavin Chavez had a rushing touchdown for the Eagles.
On defense, Hayz Camarena led THS with 13 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, while Wyatt Botts was in on six tackles, and Nick Capaci had four, including a quarterback sack.
The Eagles will travel to Morro Bay for their next game on Friday, Sept. 11. After a bye week on Sept. 18, THS returns home to face Pioneer Valley on Sept. 25.
St. Joseph 49, Paso Robles 13
The Bearcats fell to perennial county CIF contender St. Joseph 49-13 to fall to 0-3. Despite being on the short end of a lopsided score, PRHS could point to some positives.
The Bearcats, were able to move the ball on offense against the Knights, pentrating St. Joseph territory before being forced to give up the ball on downs.
One exception was in the first quarter, when quarterback Vincent Berlingeri hit Emmett Dobson with a 22-yard TD pass to tie up the game 7-7. However, the Knights would score the next 42 points, before Ethan Nickell, who led the Bearcats in rushing with 74 yards, scored on a 3-yard run as the clock expired.
"Overall, we are disappointed in going 0-3. and we know we’ve faced a few juggernauts," Bearcat head coach Matt Carroll said. "The players and coaches are in good spirits, and we understand this gets us ready for league play. I’m happy the offense is moving the ball and the defense is warming up. Our players and coaches are focused on staying the course and we look forward to the next seven weeks."
On Friday, Sept. 11, the Bearcats, will travel to Highland High of Bakersfield in search of their first win. After a bye week on Sept. 18, PRHS will be home Sept. 25 for its Homecoming game against Cabrillo.
Feature Image: Atascadero High running back Xavi Cano (17) staves off a Morro Bay defender during the teams’ game Sept. 4 at Morro Bay. Cano rushed for 63 yards in the Greyhounds’ 21-0 win. Photo by Rick Evans/ATN